"To put a label on it, it's definitely more heavy, and it's definitely more intricate than what you would hear today," Peat Rains (senior-sociology) said, "but it does have melody."
Rains, who also performs solo in Epileptic Peat, plays a custom-made, 8-string bass in the group.
On Everything You Know is Wrong, its full-length debut, the band covers a range of songs stretching from Sonic the Hedgehog to Castlevania to Final Fantasy. It is named after a level in the NES game Marble Madness, and the band realized only after titling it that a "Weird Al" Yankovic song shared the title.
"It never even registered," John "J.T." Dubosky (sophomore-communications) said. "I had that CD!"
Dubosky joined the band a few months ago, when its previous drummer moved to Washington, D.C. to take a job.
"There was this drunk guy that came up to me at a party once," Rains said. "Lots of people come up and say they want to jam with me, but this guy seemed really enthusiastic. Maybe it's just because he was drunk. I'm always the only sober one at a party so I can never tell who's really enthusiastic."
But Rains remembered Dubosky later on when the band needed a new drummer, and Dubosky has joined on with the group full time. Rains said Dubosky, who brings more instrumental and jam band influences into the band, improves its sound.
"He's got a really good beat as opposed to just droning double bass," Rains said.
The group also said Dubosky's influence has opened up the band's appeal outside of metal and video game fans.
"Before, a lot of girls were like 'Oh, you're really good, but it's really metal, really in your face,' " Zucker said. "With J.T it's a lot more danceable, we do seem more female-friendly."
Though the band members all agree on the quality of video game music, they also view it as a way to get gigs in a scene dominated by cover bands.
"Talking about local bands is kind of a double-edged sword," Rains said. "We're supposed to be a community of musicians that really support each other. But I've been here more than two years, and you see the patterns. You see who gets shows and who doesn't."
"Every place here is so exclusive," Tom Schafer (junior-bioengineering) said. The members discussed how certain venues and clubs book very specific bands. The band members also agreed the college atmosphere stifles original music.
"You can't go to a bar and hear good original music around State College," Dubosky said.
Rains said bar bands are "something to drink to, something to pass out to," but do not produce memorable music. The lack of opportunities for local bands to play is one thing the group aims to remedy with their upcoming event, Video Armageddon 2, on Oct. 28.
The show, which features video game bands in addition to video game art and other activities, is the sequel to last year's Video Armageddon show, which Schafer said was the Dragon Chasers' biggest show yet.
Rains said the band is aiming to have a Video Armageddon every semester.
"We found a way in the back door with video games," Rains said. "There's no way we're gonna play Nickelback."
Rains said audience members will be interested in the video game idea, and even people who think it's a "gimmick" will stick around for the original songs. Though Video Armageddon 2 has a video game theme, Rains hopes it exposes the band and helps make Dragon Chasers a good venue for others.
"All these bands are struggling just
to play house parties," Rains said. "It's sad because a lot of good musicians give up."
